...musings on post production, VFX, digital media, and the evolving state of communications

April 29, 2015

For years I've been blogging here; about my job, my clients, everything production and post production related. And I'm going to keep blogging...just not here. As of today, I'm officially moving my Lower Thirds blog over to Tumblr.

December 02, 2014

You may well know ZERO VFX for their amazing visual effects work in feature films and television commercials. They transformed the cities of Boston and Worcester into a gritty 1970s New York City for American Hustle. They made Denzel Washington just a bit more bad-ass in The Equalizer. And now they're also making some bad-ass software for post pros.

Today this Boston-based VFX studio has formally launched a new software division called Code Zero. And the first, formal product launch from this new initiative is called Compression Preview. And it's available today for only $49. Now, Compression Preview isn't their first endeavor in software. You may remember over the summer that ZERO sold its cloud-based rendering technology - ZYNC Render - to Google. It was a technology they developed themselves to solve their own, real-world rendering requirements. Productized it. Formed a company around it. Then sold it to Google. So these guys have some experience in making viable, valuable software.

Here's the press release that hit the wires today. But definitely check it out here, or watch a brief tutorial here.

Boston, MA (December 2, 2014) – ZERO VFX (www.zerovfx.com) today announced it has launched its first new software plug-in for the post production marketplace as a result of its newly formed software division, Code Zero Software. The new plug-in, Compression Preview, enables After Effects artists to preview sequences prior to rendering, check for unwanted artifacts, banding and color shifts and make tweaks and changes to the compression parameters to ensure the best possible end product. Providing these powerful capabilities saves artists valuable time and resources by ensuring the look and quality of their work before final rendering and publishing.

ZERO VFX also announced it has teamed up with Boston-based Noise Industries and Ephere to help market, sell and support Compression Preview. With its deep connections and expertise in the VFX software industry, the combined team is well positioned to provide comprehensive sales and marketing support for After Effects artists world wide.

Compression Preview is available immediately and is priced at $49.00 USD. For more information or to purchase Compression Preview, please visit: http://compressionpreview.com/

Jaime Fortuno-Lavin is the lead commercial compositor for Zero VFX and has been using Compression Preview on client work. Jaime had this to say about Compression Preview:

"We worked on a web pre-roll spot where our actor was over a white cyc - we were of course working and delivering at full res, which meant we couldn't see what the piece looked like once it got compressed all the way down for distribution. Once it was compressed, a strange lighting aberration showed up. We were able to fix it and re-deliver super fast, but still, it was from this experience that we realized there were no good tools out there to help. Now there is!"

“The team at ZERO VFX is in a unique position; we exist at the confluence of creativity and technology and can leverage a very active visual-effects pipeline creating work for feature films, broadcast and web advertising to develop relevant, viable and attractive new software. We’re constantly innovating based on the post production work we do for our clients which include major feature films such as ‘The Equalizer’ and literally hundreds of commercial projects each year,” said Brian Drewes, co-founder of ZERO VFX and Code Zero Software. “Compression Preview is a perfect example of technology that was born from a very real pain point that our artists experience everyday, and translates into a valuable solution for the marketplace.”

Brian Drewes and Sean Devereaux, who are the co-founders of both ZERO VFX and Code Zero have deep experience in planning, developing and selling software in this market. Their first effort, ZYNC Render, was acquired by Google, Inc. in 2014. Compression Preview is their second effort, and the team has several more projects in the pipeline.

Compression Preview: Saving Your Work and Your Sanity

As every post production artist knows, it is difficult to accurately gauge how sequences will hold up through the compression and online distribution process. Quite often, unwanted elements are discovered only after the project is delivered. Compression Preview allows artists to ensure the best looking end product possible by offering the ability to compress a frame range directly from within the After Effects timeline. Artists can tweak the parameters to combat unwanted artifacts, banding and color shifts with ease.

Key main features of Compression Preview include the ability to:

View and Remove Artifacts

Reduce Banding

Counter Color Shifts

Mitigate compression problems in real-time

Estimate final file size in After Effects

Offer presets for popular video distribution, including Youtube and Vimeo

Small, nimble, creative and highly innovative, the group of visual effects and digital media artists at ZERO question standard assumptions and challenge the status quo. We tap into each others' passion, vision and energy to push creative further. We change, we evolve, we direct, we produce, we develop; we are impassioned by our projects and inspired by our clients. We strive for excellence in every work we create. We bring it.

At ZERO, the team is everything. It’s an environment we encourage, and in it, we thrive. It allows for more iterations, more opportunities for creative input and most of all, better work with fewer compromises.

ZERO VFX visual effects and post production studio is physically based in Boston, Massachusetts. But our impact is felt everywhere. To learn more, please visit www.zerovfx.com.

November 04, 2014

And the fascinating thing is, while the cameras on these devices are getting better and better (arguably rivaling the capabilities of some high end pro cameras), the apps to support capture, editing, effects and delivery are incredible. Not only are they powerful - live streaming from an iPad - but they’re inexpensive. Like, cheap.

Now, the iOgrapher for iPad and iPhone are taking things even further. With the ability to add lenses, shotgun mics, lighting; to mount to a tripod, monopod or glide cam; or by using its handles for steadier hand-held shooting, the iOgrapher turns your iOS device into a serious rig.

It’s this perfect storm of technological advancements that are creating entirely new categories of videographers. The iOS Filmmaker and Mobile Journalist!

So naturally we were thrilled when Conor McNamara of the BBC reached out to us to share his plans, and talk to us about incorporating the iOgrapher into his pipeline.

Conor McNamara is a Football (soccer) Commentator for the BBC and was on site in Brazil this past summer reporting on the World Cup. He shared with us his experience capturing The World Cup for the BBC and provides some tips for broadcasters and journalists for making the most of an iOS shoot.

“The term ‘multiplatform jounalism’ has been around for quite a while now, at The BBC we don’t go to events thinking about just collecting material for one medium. In the past people worked ‘just for TV”, ‘just for radio’ or ‘just wrote for online’- Nowadays individual reporters are encouraged to combine these roles and take maximum advantage of being on location where stories are breaking.

Primarily I work for radio, but since being introduced to the iOgrapher by a BBC colleague I’ve begun filing video shot on iOS which has been regularly used on BBC TV.

The key for me, is that iPads/iPhones/microphones and cables are kit that I will already be bringing to an event anyway. By adding a tripod, iOgrapher and lens – suddenly I‘ve got the capability of turning what originally was due to be a radio interview into a TV interview.

The BBC has been experimenting with iOS video for some time now; capturing content on the fly, man-on-the-street style with the idea that we’d push these videos through our social media channels to help promote our programming. We also thought this would be a creative addition to our coverage of the 2014 World Cup. It’s a great idea, but shooting video on an iPad or iPhone can be challenging. When we heard about the iOgrapher for iPhone 5s and iPad, we realized we could in fact incorporate our iOS videos into our larger production pipeline. With its mounts for lenses, sound and lighting, suddenly we had highly portable, fully functional camera rigs that enabled us to get right into the action and capture great footage for our programming.

Rather than simply providing video clips for social media or websites, the possibilities began to grow. PTC’s (Piece To Cameras) I shot outside the stadium before games using an iPad ended up being used regularly during the World Cup on BBC’s 24-hour rolling news channel. Back at the studio our producers would ‘paint’ other footage over my reports. What was originally just footage of me standing holding a camera with the backdrop of a stadium, now became a full package.

There is huge potential for growth in this area and TV producers are becoming more an more willing to embrace footage shot on mobile devices.

My main piece of advice is to keep it simple. A well-lit, properly framed, ‘locked-off’ shot will look convincing as TV-standard. Mobile video journalists who try to get too fancy with panning shots and changing focuses end up with something akin to a bad amateur wedding video. But get the sun in the right place, get your sound right and the current standard of mobile device is capable of getting your footage onto network TV.”

October 29, 2014

Collaborative review and approval apps aren’t necessarily a new concept. In fact, my first experience working with them was back in 2006 when I began working with a startup called syncVUE. It was a great product - it was ahead of its time in so many ways. And that was the problem. It was ahead of its time.

Facebook was 2 years old; Twitter was an infant that people didn’t quite understand (“why would anyone care that I’m eating a cheeseburger right now, and who wants to read my 140 character blathering?”). Social Media Gurus didn’t exist (thankfully) and clouds were something that just ruined your summer day.

And along came syncVUE - a "collaborative review and approval" application for post production artists who were sick of traveling, sitting in traffic, just to have to their client or team look over their shoulders as they reviewed a clip. It was novel. It was innovative. It was based on Skype. What the hell is Skype?

Oddly, that was one of the biggest barriers to adoption. No one wanted to embrace a web-based communication tool that they either never heard of, didn’t understand, or weren’t comfortable with implementing. Some enterprise clients refused to install it for security reasons - they weren’t allowed to bring it inside the firewall. So the big clients and the studios weren’t allowed to use it, they would never experience syncVUE.

It was ahead of its time.

Fast forward to today. The Cloud - especially in post production - is everywhere. Thank you Adobe. Artists are sharing on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram among others. They’re avidly using Dropbox, Google Docs, Vimeo, YouTube and email to collaborate on their work. They’re not only working in the Cloud, they live their lives in the Cloud. Sharing - not only amongst different people, but between multiple mobile and desktop devices - is the new norm. It’s ubiquitous.

So what does that mean for collaborative review and approval? We’re ready.

Founded by filmmaker/videographer Rollo Wenlock, Wipster was born from an age-old need, but based on today’s realities. Meaning, the realities in which we live and work today. As a filmmaker working with colleagues and clients spread around the world; and using myriad disparate tools that, by themselves work great, but when stitched together to attempt a meaningful workflow, get very messy.

The status quo kind of worked. It was a painful process. It was ugly. Rollo knew there had to be a better way. Then one morning, he was inspired.

"In November 2012, at 7am in the morning, I was looking out the window holding my newborn child. The sun was coming up and it hit the dust on the window. I could see the dust as a layer on top of the sun behind it. I suddenly thought ‘why don’t we make comments right on top of the video?’ I found a great team and we started the build the product.”

Wipster is a beautifully designed, intuitive digital media review and approval platform designed for content creators, filmmakers, in-house corporate media teams, or anyone creating short-form video projects. Wipster helps bring together creative media teams, their colleagues and clients from wherever they may be to collaborate on digital media projects; simply, elegantly and quickly.

Wipster combines a breadth of collaborative features with powerful video review features, such as the ability to create content rich emails and share secure folders with anyone with a simple invite. Wipster also offers frame accurate video playback, contextual commenting and version stacking - all in a simple interface that eliminates the tedium of connecting regionally disparate creative teams. Plus, Wipster allows users to deliver unlimited videos in their original formats - ideal for any post production workflow. The team at Wipster has invested significant time and resources to ensure the user experience is as simple, elegant and fun as possible.

Wipster is available as a cloud-based, subscription service with options to meet any teams’ collaboration requirements. Wipster also provides users with a “Free Forever” plan that gives teams access to core Wipster features, and 15 minutes of video uploads per month.

October 03, 2014

If you're going to AES 2014 next week in LA, and your studio is a mess (not dusty, I mean, task management processes gone awry), then you have to drop by and talk to the team at AlterMedia. They'll be showcasing the newly redesigned Studio Suite Xi.

It's a must see!

AES 2014 - Booth #1640

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AlterMedia to Showcase Studio Suite Xi at AES 2014

Studio Suite Team to Demo Newly Designed Studio Management Software for

AlterMedia CEO and founder, Joel Stoner, began his career as a recording engineer. He commented, “Audio is where it all began for me. My experience managing my own small business as an independent recording engineer is what led to the development of Studio Suite. While it’s capabilities have grown to include aspects of film and video production as well, I’m eager to show AES attendees how Studio Suite Xi can energize the ‘business’ side of their business.”

"We use Studio Suite every single day. It's the single most used program in the building outside of Protools" says Casey Lewis, studio manager at NRG Recording in Los Angeles.

NRG owner Jay Baumgardner adds, "The guys at AlterMedia have always been great. We’ve had every new version of Studio Suite for past the 16 years, and we’re really excited about the new capabilities in Studio Suite Xi. The fact that Studio Suite can be customized for our needs, along with their excellent customer service is why we've had a great relationship with them."

AlterMedia formally released Studio Suite Xi in September, and in less than a month, has already enjoyed a 356% growth in seat purchases over the previous version. “We’ve been listening to what our customers are asking for, and implementing those requests in each release. This time we have hit the nail on the head; the orders are flying in. Something has definitely clicked,” added Stoner.

With web and iOS access, as well as a completely refreshed interface, Studio Suite Xi’s new build extends a studio’s ability to manage critical workflows from the office to the studio, and beyond. Studio Suite Xi presents an elegant and consistent user experience, focused on simplicity and clarity, while delivering powerful features and workflow enhancements that eliminate the challenges of managing contacts, resources, schedules, budgets/actuals, and the thousands of other details that become unwieldy in day-to-day studio operations.

AlterMedia offers three versions of Studio Suite Xi: Solo, Pro, and Network, with web and iOS access available on all Network solutions.

Studio Suite Xi: New Features, Elegant New Workflow

Studio Suite Xi is a complete redesign of AlterMedia’s flagship studio management software, and includes a number of significant new features:

Web, iOS, and Desktop Accessibility: Studio Suite Xi is accessible everywhere, creating a seamless experience, transitioning easily between desktop and tablet or smartphone when portability is necessary (web and iOS accessibility is available on Network solutions only).

QuickLog: Allows staffers and freelancers to log their time into Projects from anywhere, on any device, for free, without occupying a seat license.

Enhanced Media Management: Vastly improved media asset management now includes automatic storage of media assets on a shared server, automatic folder naming, intelligent backups, the ability to link those assets to Contacts and Projects, and the ability to access this data from anywhere.

Budget Organization: Improvements to AICE and AICP Production Budgeting, Project Groupings, and Reporting.

Convenient Notifications: Email, SMS, and Twitter alerts help users stay on top of Projects and Tasks, as well as equipment maintenance issues.

Studio Suite Xi runs on Mac, PC, iOS, and desktop browsers. With the ability to integrate with Final Cut, Avid, Pro Tools, QuickBooks, QuickBooks Online, MYOB & AccountEdge, Address Book, iCal, and Google Calendar, it syncs and runs cooperatively with many of the other systems you use.

Pricing and Availability

Studio Suite Xi is available immediately as a stand-alone perpetual license, with assisted installation, Annual Support, and customization available. Studio Suite Xi is also available as a more affordable annual license, with a lower cost of entry. For more information on pricing and installation, as well as a 30 day trial version, please visit www.studiosuite.com or contact AlterMedia at +1.800.450.5740, or +1.818.955.9550 from outside the US or Canada.

About AlterMedia

AlterMedia is all about creating media. Its employees are a group of digital media artists and engineers who set out to help other artists focus on their creativity. For artists that have a business to run, AlterMedia creates software tools that simplify and organize the chaos of creativity. To learn more, please visit www.altermedia.com.

July 14, 2014

I'm always pleased to showcase news of companies from our community who place a special focus on schools and students - the people with the most promise and the least funding.

Larry Jordan & Associates is the latest to offer some relief to students, film schools and universities.

Larry Jordan & Associates Launches Focused Education Program with Special Pricing and Services for Universities, Film Schools, Students

Renowned FCPX and Adobe Premiere Pro Trainer to Bring Professional Caliber Editing, Post Production Training to Students

Burbank, CA (July 10, 2014) – Larry Jordan & Associates, Inc. (http://www.larryjordan.biz) announced today that they have launched a new educational initiative designed to make it easier for schools and students to invest in, and embrace professional-caliber post production training skills with industry-renowned expert trainer, Larry Jordan. With this announcement, Larry Jordan & Associates is launching a new educators pricing program for universities, schools and students that include special discounts on industry-leading training on popular post productions applications, including Apple Final Cut Pro X and Adobe Premiere Pro, as well as additional educational support materials.

The new program comes at a time when schools are expanding their efforts to provide more advanced training for their students to better prepare them for new careers upon graduation.

“These are difficult times for film schools and universities; increasingly tighter budgets make it difficult for educators to best prepare their students with the latest technologies and training needed to compete in this competitive creative market,” said Larry Jordan, president and founder of Larry Jordan & Associates. “Today’s graduating students need to be well versed in all aspects of post production, so we decided the time was right to launch a focused program that made it even easier for schools and students to invest in professional level training at a price that doesn’t stress their already fragile budgets.”

Educator Discounts and Services

Effective immediately, qualifying schools and students are eligible to receive Apple Final Cut Pro X and Adobe Premiere Pro training, deeply discounted and tailored to meet the needs of individual schools. Plus, custom training programs are available providing live, online training for the classroom, quizzes, and other teacher support materials. For more information and to participate in the Educators Program, please visit http://www.larryjordan.biz or contact Debbie Price at debbie@larryjordan.biz.

About the Larry Jordan & Associates

Larry Jordan is an internationally-renowned consultant and Apple-Certified trainer with over 35 years experience as a television producer, director and editor with national broadcast and corporate credits. His informative and entertaining teaching style provides video and film editors around the world with unique editing techniques, methods and resources to increase productivity and enhance their skills.

Based in Los Angeles, he’s a member of both the Directors Guild of America and the Producers Guild of America. In addition to his online training and in-person seminars, Jordan writes and edits the FREE, ‘Larry Jordan’s Weekly Final Cut & Adobe Newsletter’ – now in its ninth year of publishing, which provides essential news and tutorials on a variety of audio and video editing software. He is the author of hundreds of hours of online training and eight books on editing, published by Peachpit Press and Focal Press including his latest, Adobe Premiere Pro Power Tips: Secrets, Shortcuts, and Techniques.

Larry Jordan is also the executive producer and host of the Digital Production BuZZ. Heard in over 182 countries around the world, the Digital Production BuZZ is the industry’s longest-running podcast covering creative content producers and tech news for media production, post-production, marketing and distribution. New episodes of the weekly Digital Production BuZZ air every Thursday from 6:00 to 7:00 pm PDT. Episodes are available live from the website, or are available for download later on iTunes. Listeners can also sign up for the free, weekly BuZZ Newsletter and get a sneak peak of each week’s show by visiting www.digitalproductionbuzz.com.

May 27, 2014

My friends at Triggerfish had some more good news today; they've won another award. This is a well deserved award for a group of very hard working, passionate and talented artists.

Congrats guys!

Here's the forma announcement:

Press release: Immediate – 27 May 2014

Triggerfish takes Best Animation prize at Africa Movie Academy Awards for the second year running

On Saturday Triggerfish received another Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Animation for their second feature film, Khumba. The AMAA’s are among the continent’s most prestigious awards and have been running for 10 years. This follows from last year’s win in the same category for Adventures in Zambezia. Both films also won Best Animation at the South African Film and Television Awards in their respective year of entry.

The success of the two films has not been limited to Africa – the films have won top awards in Brazil and China and have been selected for prestigious festivals around the world. Triggerfish’s forty international distribution partners have released the films in almost every territory in the world - to help the films become two of the highest grossing African movies of all time.

In the wake of this success, Triggerfish recently signed a multi-film agreement with William Morris Endeavor (WME), the Beverly Hills-based agency who manage some of the top talent in the world. WME will assist Triggerfish in putting together international distribution deals, raising financing and packaging talent.

Triggerfish has keen interest in its success within the African continent. “There’s not a lot of high quality children’s entertainment being created for the continent,” says Triggerfish CEO Stuart Forrest. “We believe that animation captures the imaginations of children in a way no other type of filmmaking can, and we’d like to use our partnerships and networks to work with studios throughout the continent to see this medium grow.”

About Triggerfish Animation Studios:

Established in 1996, Triggerfish Animation Studios is a Cape Town-based film and entertainment company. The studio has produced two feature films; Adventures in Zambezia (2012), starring Jeremy Suarez, Abigail Breslin and Samuel L. Jackson, and Khumba (2013), starring Liam Neeson, Jake T. Austin and AnnaSophia Robb.

May 06, 2014

Larry Jordan has been working hard. Very hard. And so has his team at Larry Jordan & Associates and the Digital Production BuZZ. For the past 7 years, the Digital Production BuZZ has teamed up with the NAB Show as an offical media partner, and year after year, Larry and his team simply raise the bar.

Every year.

And I know personally, because every year I've worked with his entire crew - booking interviews, pitching them on interview ideas and potential guests. And I know first-hand the work that goes into producing this show.

So I was very happy for them to learn the results of their latests endeavors at NAB 2014. Congratualtions guys! Now get some rest (although I know you won't)!

Check out the news from their latest press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Larry Jordan’s Digital Production BuZZ Coverage of the 2014 NAB Show Drives Record Growth, Expanded Listenership

Burbank, CA (May 6 , 2014) – Larry Jordan & Associates, Inc. and the Digital Production BuZZ (www.digitalproductionbuzz.com) are reporting record growth in its worldwide audience, and its most successful year as an Official Media Partner of the 2014 NAB Show. During the month of April 2014, which includes its 2014 NAB Show coverage, the Digital Production BuZZ experienced a 230% jump in listeners, drawing an expanded audience from 182 countries worldwide.

The Digital Production BuZZ is also reporting an overall 35% year-over-year growth in its audience. This significant growth is attributed to the caliber of influential and engaging guests and content presented throughout the year, and during major industry conferences such as NAB, BVE, DV Expo and Creatasphere. Additionally, the Digital Production BuZZ has garnered the support of some of the industry’s biggest players, such as Blackmagic Design, Adobe Systems, Moviola, G-Technology, Promise Technology, and Shutterstock.

During NAB 2014, the Digital Production BuZZ successfully delivered over 80 live and recorded interviews with the production and post production industry’s most influential players. In addition to its audio broadcasts, the BuZZ delivered video broadcasts of its interviews as a result of its partnership with Moviola.

"The 2014 NAB Show was our most ambitious effort to date;" said Larry Jordan, executive producer and host of the Digital Production BuZZ. "We set some lofty goals to showcase the best of NAB to the world, and I’m delighted to say we succeeded. Our team of 30 incredibly talented people worked around the clock to deliver the news from the show. I also need to thank our amazing sponsors; they are the backbone that makes the BuZZ possible. Without their support we would not be able to produce the kind of show that draws thousands of people into our global community week after week."

The Digital Production BuZZ has been an Official Media Partner of the NAB Show since 2008 and has brought listeners the hottest news, insights and perspectives from the production and post production community’s most influential players.

About the Digital Production BuZZ

Heard in over 182 countries around the world, the Digital Production BuZZ is the industry’s longest-running podcast covering creative content producers and tech news for media production, post-production, marketing and distribution.

New episodes of the weekly Digital Production BuZZ air every Thursday from 6:00 to 7:00 pm PDT. Listen live here or download the program later on iTunes. Listeners can also sign up for the free, weekly BuZZ Newsletter and get a sneak peak of each week’s show by visiting www.digitalproductionbuzz.com.

Larry Jordan is the executive producer and host of the Digital Production BuZZ. Larry is a renowned media expert, Apple-certified trainer specializing in Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere training, author, and member of the Directors Guild of America and Producers Guild of America. Co-host Michael Horton is also an influential, experienced member of the creative community, and is well known as an actor, film editor and is the co-founder and co-producer of the world-renowned CPUG SuperMeet. Cirina Catania, supervising producer of the BuZZ, is a writer/director/journalist and member of the Producers Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America. To schedule an interview on the Digital Production BuZZ, contact Cirina at buzz@catania.us.

Debbie Price is the Special Events Producer of all the 2014 NAB Show coverage for the Digital Production BuZZ. She also produces the 2 Reel Guys video webisodes, all live seminars and events, and directs operations at Larry Jordan & Associates, Inc.

April 03, 2014

NAB 2014 is upon us; a couple more days, and I hope that flight to Vegas. So once we get there, what can we expect to see from GoPro? Take a look:

Enhance Pro Shoots with New Dual HERO3+ System, Stutter-Free Playback Software, More Powerful Protune Settings and All New Flexible Mounts

GoPro to Feature Renowned Filmmakers, Directors and GoPro Media Production Team in Special NAB Booth Presentations

SAN MATEO, CA (March 31, 2014) – GoPro, maker of the Emmy® Award-winning HERO camera and enabler of some of today’s most engaging professional video content, will debut new software and flexible mounts for the HERO3+ optimized for professional filmmakers, cinematographers and post production studios at NAB 2014 in Las Vegas next week.

In its booth #C6537 in the Central Hall of the LVCC, GoPro will demonstrate:

Dual HERO System: The new 3D System designed for GoPro HERO3+ Black Edition will enable users to record synchronized 2D videos and convert to 3D files using free GoPro Studio editing software. The Dual HERO System will also allow users to simultaneously capture video with one camera and shoot time-lapse photos with the second. Available in spring.

GoPro App: Updated version of the free iOS and Android app delivers wireless camera software updates to the HERO3+ camera firmware and control new HERO3+ camera modes. Users can now also adjust and control all Protune settings from their iOS device for ultimate image control during a shoot.

GoPro Player: A new desktop software application for Mac or PC that delivers a stutter-free playback solution for all GoPro content. Available in spring, the GoPro Player will optimize high-data rate GoPro content for smooth playback to deliver the best possible viewing experience. Features will include playback speed controls for fast or slow motion, the ability to play back Time Lapse and Burst Photo sequences as videos, and export full-resolution still photos from videos for photo prints or easy sharing. GoPro Player is ideal in a professional production environment, for previewing on set dailies in full 2.7k resolution or for reviewing footage seamlessly while prepping for post in the edit bay.

GoPro will also show a variety of new mounting systems for the HERO3+ optimized for cinematographers and videographers, including the new Jaws Flex Clamp and a variety of quick-release tripod mounts.

Shane Hurlbut, ASC is a world-renowned cinematographer with 18 feature films to his credit, including the recently released Need for Speed. Shane has depended on the GoPro HERO3+ Black Edition for capturing some of his most challenging, visually exhilarating car chase scenes throughout the film. "When I need a shot that is cut from a different cloth, never seen, or in harms way, I turn to the GoPro HERO3+,” says Hurlbut. “Its compact nature and near indestructibility expands my creativity and pushes me as an artist.”

GoPro will also feature a special lineup of industry renowned filmmakers and directors as well as members of the GoPro Media Production team in a series of special presentations in the GoPro Booth throughout the week. In their presentations, these filmmakers will share their insights, perspectives and the impact of the GoPro HERO3+ in their professional pipelines. The schedule of presentations includes:

GoPro’s versatile cameras and accessories enable people to self-capture immersive and engaging footage of themselves enjoying their favorite activities. From extreme to mainstream, GoPro’s HERO® line of wearable and gear-mountable capture devices are transforming the way consumers, professional athletes, and video production professionals capture, manage and share meaningful photo and video content. Based in San Mateo, California, GoPro’s products are sold through more than 25,000 stores in over 100 countries worldwide and direct via GoPro.com. GoPro branded content is shared and enjoyed by millions of people on popular media channels such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo and YouTube.

GOPRO® and HERO® are trademarks or registered trademarks of GoPro, Inc. in the United States and other countries.